The Pho Song

I live in Sioux Falls, SD and it's the home of the Midwestern palate. For the most part, ethnic foods here have been toned down in terms of seasonings. Indian, Mexican, Chinese and even mediterranean have all been de-spiced, and in same cases, disappointing.
As a result, I have been reluctant to try Pho Quanyh in town. The first time I had Pho was in new York city, and it was a new addiction. Pho is a very yummy Vietnamese soup, and many restaurants also feature other staples of vietnamese cuisine.
Similar to other asian cuisines, Vietnamese food has a strong Buddhist/vegetarian tradition. Also, there is a strong reliance of fresh ingredients. Some experts consider Vietnamese food to be one of the healthiest of all, due to the lack of added cooking fats and use of fresh foods.
I finally tried Pho for a post yoga dinner. I wasn't sure what to expect, except I hadnt heard anything bad about it. I ordered fried tofu with peppers.
Best. Dinner. In. A. Long. Time
The tofu was cooked just right. The rice was just the right bit of sticky. It was just perfect.
I have been afraid, until now, to try making Pho itself (it's a Vietnamese soup). I did find a great recipe from Runs with Tweezers, which I think I am going to have to try.

Vegetarian Pho – makes 4 medium bowls of pho – adapted from the recipe found on Vegetarian Times

4 cups good quality low sodium vegetable broth
4 cups water
1 cup dried shiitake mushrooms
3 large shallots, thinly sliced
10 cloves of garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
1″ piece of fresh ginger, thinly sliced into 1/8″ pieces
6 tbsp. light soy sauce
2 tbsp. rice wine vinegar
3 star anise
3 cinnamon sticks
1 small handful thai basil stems & leaves
1 small handful cilantro stems & leaves
1 8 ounce package dried rice noodles
2 cups shredded Napa or Savoy cabbage
2 cups fresh mung bean or soybean sprouts
1/2 cup fresh chopped green onions
1/2 cup roughly chopped or torn Thai basil
1/2 cup roughly chopped cilantro
1 lime, cut into wedges for garnish
Optional for serving: sliced fresh jalapenos, Maggi seasoning, extra soy sauce, Sriracha, hot garlic chili sauce
- For the broth: Place the first 12 ingredients in a large soup pot with a lid. Bring to a boil over medium high heat and then reduce temperature and simmer mostly covered for 1 1/2 hours. Strain through a fine mesh colander to get all the bits out. Return the broth to the pot and bring back to temp over medium heat.

- To assemble the soup: Cook the rice noodles according to the package – as a default method, cook the noodles in boiling water for 3-4 minutes until tender, drain and rinse with some cool water quickly to stop the cooking. Drain these thoroughly. Evenly distribute the noodles and cabbage between the serving bowls. Ladle the hot broth over the noodles. Top each bowl with some sprouts, basil, cilantro, a sprinkle of green onions and some lime. Serve immediately.